Home Movies (1954)

News Reel There are many news reel companies in the business of supplying film to television and theaters, but despite the overwhelming number of employees in the game there is still a chance for an amateur to make a few bucks and have a good time doing it. The obvious sales potential, the spot news story when no one else is around to cover, are few and far between. If you plan to make even a few bucks from news reel sales, you'd be foolish to rely on these — they just don't happen often enough. It is better to concentrate upon small special events which the bigtime newsreels would overlook. Often MOVIE the big staffs lose track of the less spectacular events, such as new freeways, openings of buildings, churches and company activities which they'd like to carry. These are not items for national coverage, but the local television stations are very much interested in this sort of thing. For example, recently an automobile company opened a new multimillion dollar proving grounds near Chelsea, Michigan. I made a few shots of the highlights: the new cars which they displayed, the special races and the guest speakers. There were no news reel boys there, just the company men. so I managed to sell a few hundred feet to the local Detroit station for their news reel show. Recently, the corporation called to ask if they might purchase copies of some footage to add to that whch their men had made. Every one was happy and I made a little pocket money besides. — Roland Hemphill. Detroit, Michigan. * * * The New Barber Ever notice the way the paying customers shy away rom a new barber? He may be nicest old gent you've ever seen. Perhaps they've been coming into "Old Charlie's" shop for years, but when it comes the customer's turn for the chair if they can't have Charlie, thev wait. They shy away from the new man as if he s got the bubonic plague. "I'm waiting for Charlie," they say, "He knows just what I want." I decided to make a film on this American phenomenon. I started out by showing the new barber arriving for work. The boss, Old Charlie, explains his duties to him. He tells him that Saturday is a busy day. He tells him he'll really have to "clip along" to get every one taken care of. Then I showed Charlie opening the shop. The first customers come in. They are not looking where they are going, since they are first there is no waiting for them. They hang up their hats and take their seats. Suddenly, one of them shoots out of his chair as if he'd been bitten by a cobra. He'd gotten in the new man's chair. "I'll wait for Charlie," he mumbles. Meanwhile other customers come in. They eye Charlie, busy as can be, then glare at the new man with suspicion and take a seat ... to wait for Charlie. The customers play a little game of "musical chairs" to see who will finally get stuck with the new man. Finally one guy, in a hurry, cannot wait it out. He loses. Slowly he walks to the new man s chair. It. was almost as if he were walking to the electric chair. The new man smiles and begins. He tries talking to the customer, as Charlie always does, but the guy will not answer. Finally the hair cut is done. It is a fine job. Still the customers sit it out. Then, suddenly there are no more seats and one customer, at the end of the line, realizes that if he's to get his hair cut and have some free time, he d better hurry to the chair before some one else figures it out. He dashes to the chair. That breaks the spell. After that the guy is accepted. Everything is fine ■ — fine that is. till the next new man comes along. Then. thev'H go through the whole thing all over again. — Ward Taylor, Tampa. Florida. * * * Natural Lighting There can be no refuting of the evidence: almost everything looks better in natural lighting. This goes for old ladies. Marilyn Monroe, and little children. Needless to say, my experience has been strictly confined to old ladies and little babies. But, I do know, that babies especiallv, are bothered by strong direct lighting, rather than by a specific light intensity. I know, my child has cried and raised Holy Ned when one number one Photoflood had been directed at her eyes, yet I've used as many as six number one Photofloods indirectly without a sign of a tear. Natural lighting does not mean making the existing lighting do. Often this is not good photographic light. It may be too weak or too contrasty for filming. Natural lighting means adding to the natural light in such a way that you keep the natural light's direction while building the intensity or evening out the contrast. In most cases this is achieved by the "bounce light" techniques which were developed by the still photographers. Instead of shining a light directly upon a subject, the rays are bounced or reflected off an intermediary, such as a wall or ceiling. When using bounce lighting try using as few lights as possible. Three or four should cover the average room. Place one light in each corner, aiming the reflector at the ceiling if it is not too dark or too high, or at the wall if the ceiling will not work. Let the rays illuminate the entire room, ^ou are not after a directional light. Instead, you simply want to raise the illumination level within the room to a point where it will record on film, or to a point where the shadows are not too harsh. Four number one Photofloods placed about six feet from the ceiling should allow you to film at f :3.5 with black and white film. The bounce technique is not recommended for color unless you have access to a color temperature meter. The light takes on the color of the reflecting surfaces and its color should be judged for correction. If there are vellow or green ceilings, for example, it would take a filter to bring the color balance back to normal. — Robt. Young, Neu York. 306